Numbering device



Dec. 3, 1940. GORRELL 2,224,046

NUMBERING DEVI CE Filed Sept. 50, 1958 I Inventor Attorneys Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates generally to type-high numbering devices,such as are commonly locked in the form with type and comprise a series of numbering wheels which are actuated in the 5, operation of .a press by a plunger and intermediate mechanism, and particularly to a device of this character in which the unit wheel is so arranged and constructed that its symbol can be depressed, leaving the No. in an operating position, together with means for holding the swinging pawl frame in a position to hold the No. operating plunger in at a printing level and inwardly of an operating level, so that the device in the operation of the press will print the No. without printing also the character on the unit wheel, thus enabling the pressman, at will, to print sheets containing only the symbol No. without removing the numbering device from the form, which sheets so printed are then available for replacing spoiled sheets in the printing job.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a prefererd embodiment of my invention:

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a general top plan view of a substantially conventional numbering machine a1- tered in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line 4-4.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line 4-4 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arrows and showing the pawl frame free and the plunger fully extended in the operative position, in contrast to Figure 3 which shows the pawl frame heldin No. plunger retaining position.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line 5--5 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally designates the numbering machine which includes the main plunger 6 working in the end portion of the body I, the main plunger having the character 8 on the upper end thereof for printing No. on the work. The plunger 6 works through intermediary mechanism to cause the pin 9 to work in the slot ll] of the cheek piece H of the pawl frame which is pivoted on the shaft I2 which has a longitudinal notch l3 into which the depressible characters [4 on the respective unit wheel I5, tens Wheel I6, hundredths wheel H, thousandths wheel I8 and ten thousandths wheel l9, and any additional wheels that may be in the machine, move when manual pressure is exertedon the characters with the wheels in a position relative to the shaft l2 to permit the same to move into the notch I3, in a manner well known in the art. The cheek piece i i has the tooth thereon which in accordance with the present invention is adapted to be engaged in the notch 2| in the spring-pressed dog 22 which is pivoted as indicated by the numeral 23 to the body I in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4. A spring 24 mounted on a portion of the body 1 works against the outer side of the upper part of the dog 22 to hold the same in engagement with the tooth 20 as shown in Figure 3. In accordance with the present invention I mount on the top of the body portion containing the main plunger 6 a flat spring 25 which is held in place by a screw 26 at the outer end thereof and has a hole working on a small pin 27 on the inner end of the said body portion, the hole equipped end of the spring 25 being free to rise and fall when manual pressure is placed thereon. A finger 28 projects inwardly from the inner end of the spring 25 and the tip 29 on the upper end of the dog 22 is adapted to be engaged behind this finger by raising the inner end of the spring until the tip has cleared and reached the opposite side of the finger 28, when the spring is released so that the finger comes to the inner side of the tip 29 and keeps the dog n the inoperative position illustrated in Figure 4, where the dog is out of engagement with the tooth 29 on the pawl cheek piece II, and the main plunger 6 is in the fully extended position. When the dog 22 is engaged with the tooth 20 on the cheek piece as indicated in Figure 3, the main plunger 6 has its character 8 at such an elevation as to print No.

Between the cheek pieces ll of the pawl is carried the shaft 30 on which are swingably mounted the ratchet pawls 3| which operate the numbering wheels by engaging their ratchet teeth as the pawl swings in a counterclockwise direction after return of the main plunger 6 by the spring 6' to its outwardly extended position from a depressed position. In present numbering devices the unit wheel l5 or the numbering wheel corresponding thereto is solid and when the numbering wheels have been brought into position to depress the characters thereof, and the unit wheel is positioned at zero, the other numbering wheels do not print, but the device continues to print the numbers of the unit wheel from 1 to 9 until after reaching 9; the further turning of the unit wheel causing the numeral 1 of the next wheel to be put in printing position. In this fashion, the unit wheel works the tens wheel, the tens wheel works the hundredths wheel, etc. In accordance with the present invention, the unit wheel is altered so as to possess a manually depressible character I4 in the same mechanical arrangement as the depressible characters of the other numbering wheels and similarly engageable in the notch l3 of the shaft l2 in a depressed position, so that with the main plunger 6 locked at a printing level by the engagement of the dog 22 with the tooth 20 of the cheek piece, the aligned characters of all of the numbering wheels, including the unit wheel 15', may be depressed below the printing level, so that the device prints only No.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

In a numbering machine which has a plurality of numbering wheels including a unit numbering Wheel operatively related to the other numbering wheels, a swinging pawl in operative relation to said unit wheel with means operably interconnecting the said other numbering wheels for successive operation as a result of operation of the unit numbering wheel by said pawl, a main numbering plunger operatively connected with said pawl and adapted to be operated by engagement with the work, a manually depressible character in said unit numbering wheel, and a manually positioned dog normally disengaged from a part of the said pawl and leaving the machine in normal operating position, said dog being engageable with a part of said pawl to hold said pawl in a position retainingsaid main plunger in an indrawn position withits character projecting only to printing level, whereby said machine prints only the character on the main plunger and said pawl fails to operate the numbering wheels.

invention, what is JOHN GORRELL. 

